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Could a family dynasty be emerging in District 8?
San Diego City Council President Ben Hueso’s older brother, Felipe, confirmed to me today that he’s planning to run for the District 8 seat when Ben Hueso runs for state Assembly next year.
Felipe Hueso, 50, said he decided to run because he was discouraged by the youth and inexperience of many of the candidates looking to represent the district.
“I don’t particularly like the fact that we have people who have no experience in life,” he said.
Brother Ben, however, had previously said he would support his deputy chief of staff, Alonso Gonzalez, for the seat. But Felipe Hueso said Gonzalez is an unknown in District 8, which includes Barrio Logan, Logan Heights and San Ysidro. And the elder Hueso said he has his younger brother’s support.
One candidate for District 8, David Alvarez, is a young staffer for state Sen. Denise Ducheny. Alvarez has secured endorsements from his boss and school trustee Richard Barrera.
Another person who’s filed paperwork to run for District 8 isn’t young or an unfamiliar name: Nick Inzunza Sr., a trustee of the South Bay Union School District and the uncle of former San Diego City Councilman Ralph Inzunza, who resigned after being convicted in the Strippergate scandal.
Felipe Hueso said he will rely on his accomplishments, not his brother’s name, to win the seat. He cited experience raising money for candidates and serving on the board of a National City college, InterAmerican College, which awards nursing degrees.
“People would be foolish to vote for me because I have the same last name,” he said.
Felipe Hueso said he ran unsuccessfully for a school board seat about 20 years ago. In 1995, the California Bar put him on probation for one year because of two incidents. In one case, Hueso left a deposition for a court hearing. A law clerk working for Hueso made objections at the hearing, and the association found Hueso aided the unauthorized practice of law.
In another case, Hueso’s office failed to serve the defendants with a lawsuit and the case was dismissed. The bar found Hueso had given instructions to his secretary, but failed to properly supervise the secretary.